Never Let You Go
by TheOneAndOnlyBellaCullen
Summary: Edward Cullen falls in love with Bella Swan when he's forced to volunteer at the Young People's Hospice. But Bella's not a volunteer... She's a patient. Bella's dying and will soon be gone... But Edward will never let her go... ONE SHOT. AH. TEARJERKER!


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**Hey guys! So i was really wanting to write a one shot and this idea had orginally been a full story idea, but i decided to make it into a one shot instead.**

**I hope you guys enjoy! **

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I looked around me slowly, people were dancing, people were drinking, people were having fun.

I wasn't.

Things had changed too much. I wasn't the "jock" anymore. But that's how I wanted it to be... Bella had changed me.

"_Hello Edward. I'm Julie. I'll be showing you around today."_

"_Thank you... Did anyone else get allocated here?"_

"_No-one from your school, no."_

I'd been sent out to volunteer at the Children and Young People's Hospice for my College application. But no-one else from my school had been sent there. I was alone.

Days passed, and it wasn't until my third Saturday there that I saw her.

Bella Swan.

She'd been helping children with their painting. Her smile lit up the room, her personality made everything better.

It seemed that with her here, the place where people came to die seemed more like the place people came to have fun.

"_I'm Edward Cullen..."_

"_I'm Bella... Nice to meet you. You volunteer?"_

"_Yes. For college applications... You?"_

"_...I love spending time with the children..."_

It seemed silly to me now that I didn't see it sooner... She'd been so hesitant to answer me...

But still we spent time together, we got closer... I fell for her.

"_Come on. Just one secret!"_

"_Bella. I'm not telling you anything!"_

"_Please Edward? Pleeease?"_

"_Fine... I hate Football."_

"_That's not a secret!"_

"_It is when I'm the quarterback."_

"_Oh... Why do you hate it?"_

"_It's silly. I don't want to do that with my life."_

"_What do you want to do then?"_

"_I'd like to be a doctor..."_

"_A doctor? Wow... That's what I'd love to do..."_

"_That's two secrets I've told you. You owe me."_

"_I owe you nothing!"_

She'd gotten up from the bench we'd been sitting on and she started to run away from me. So I went after her, laughing as hard as her as I caught her, wrapping my arms around her waist so she couldn't escape again.

"_Edward! Let go!"_

"_No! Tell me a secret!"_

"_I can't! ... I don't have any!"_

"_Liar!"_

I started to tickle her and we both fell onto the grass, laughing hysterically.

I kept my arms around her though, I wasn't letting go.

"_I'll let you go... If you let me kiss you."_

"_Kiss me?"_

I smiled, remembering the look on her face as I made that compromise. I still think she would've let me kiss her, had Julie not called me back inside to speak to me.

"_Edward... I've called you in here today to talk to you about Bella..."_

"_Bella? What about her?"_

I'd been planning on asking her out on a proper date. We'd only ever spent time together at the Hospice.

"_When we sent you out the forms about your Voluntary work... You did receive the sheet about not getting too close to patients, didn't you?"_

"_Patients? Yes I got it... Why?"_

I'd been so blind back then... I should've caught on to what she was saying...

"_Well... You seem to be getting a little too close to Bella Swan..."_

"_Bella... But... Wait. Are saying Bella's a patient?"_

"_Yes... Didn't you know?"_

"_No! I didn't know!"_

"_Edward... Bella has weeks to live..."_

I shut my eyes, the memory of that talk was one I wanted to forget. But I couldn't seem to erase it from my mind.

"_Bella... I need to talk to you."_

"_What is it?"_

"_Why didn't you tell me?"_

"_You know..."_

"_Yes. I know."_

"_I'm sorry Edward. I wanted you to get to know me, not my illness."_

"_You should've told me."_

We didn't see each other as much then... Sometimes we passed each other in the hallway, or we'd see each other at mealtime.

It was getting too much for me. I had to see her.

After my shift was finished, I'd gone into her room from the outside window. She was at her desk, reading a book.

"_Edward... What are you doing here?"_

"_I'm sorry Bella... For everything."_

"_No... I'm sorry."_

"_You should've told me... But it doesn't excuse the fact I've been avoiding you. I feel so guilty."_

"_Why? It's nothing Edward..."_

"_Don't say that... You know it isn't true... I've fallen for you Bella."_

"_Edward..."_

"_I just needed you to know... I can go now..."_

"_No... Don't go..."_

I stayed with her that night... But I couldn't sleep, so I just watched her instead.

Even now it's hard for me to believe that someone like her could be dying. Why were the wrong people always chosen?

She didn't deserve to die.

"_I'd love to be Doctor..."_

"_You could do something like that..."_

"_No... It's too late. I wanted to change lives. I can't do that with weeks to live."_

"_You've changed my life."_

"_I'm glad..."_

Another thing she loved was dancing... Even though she said she was no good at it.

During the weeks that followed we'd been spending more time together without the Hospice knowing. It was a bad thing to do, I knew that. It would be harder when she had to go... But every time one of those thoughts entered my head I shut it out. I would deal with it when the time came...

We'd practiced dancing in her room some nights...

"_It's my Prom soon... You should be my date..."_

"_I can't do that... Can I?"_

"_Why couldn't you?"_

"_They won't let me..."_

It was true... They didn't let her. Julie found out about it and stopped her from going. But I suppose it was a good thing... It would have been too much for her.

She was getting poorer as the days went on. Her heart condition was getting worse and she was getting weaker.

That's when they stopped me from seeing her altogether. She was bedbound, forbidden from seeing anyone except her carers.

"_I love you Bella..."_

"_I love you Edward... Always..."_

They were the last words we'd spoken to each other before she was taken from me...

"Yo dude. You want a drink?" I looked up to see Emmett, my best friend, motioning towards the drinks table.

I shook my head, "No man... I'm fine..." He nodded and started to walk away from me, "Actually." I called and he turned back to look at me, "I've got somewhere to be... I'll see you later."

He frowned as I got up and started heading towards the doors, "Hey! Where are you going?"

"My Prom!" I yelled back, almost running for the doors now, pushing them open and getting to my car quickly.

I drove to the Hospice, parking in one of the empty spaces and jumping out. It was dark, not many cars were there except the night workers.

I thought about going inside through Bella's window, but something told me to go inside the main building.

Julie was there to greet me and her eyes widened in shock as she shook her head, "No Edward. You can't be here."

"I have to Julie. Please just let me see her."

"Edward..." She shook her head sadly, "She's almost gone..."

"No!" I shouted, pushing past her and down the hallway, trying to find Bella's room through my suddenly tear filled eyes.

Julie grabbed my arm to stop me and I looked down at her helplessly, "Please..." I whispered, "This is my last chance to say goodbye... Please..."

Tears formed in her own eyes and she nodded a bit, her voice low, "Okay... Go... Quickly Edward!"

I ran down the hall but my legs were like jelly and I almost fell before I got to her room. I went inside... And there she was.

She was lying in the bed, her body towards the door so I could see her face. She blinked a little, and opened her eyes slowly. She looked so frail and weak.

"Bella..." All I could speak was a whisper, and I wondered if she could actually hear me.

"Edward..." She croaked.

I went over to her, resting one hand on her cheek and laying my forehead to hers, "I'm here Bella..."

"It's... It's your Prom tonight... Why are you here?" She whispered low.

"I don't want to go without my date..."

She smiled a little, all her body could produce before she spoke again, "Well then dance with me..."

"No... You're too weak..."

"Please. Dance with me."

I sighed a little, moving to her IPod dock and selecting her favourite song. I moved back over to the bed, pulling back the covers and lifting her from it gently.

She wrapped her arms around my neck limply and I shut my eyes, contemplating putting her back down again.

But somehow she found her feet, and she rested her head on my shoulder as the song started. I put my arms around her, moving us both slowly to the music.

We didn't talk, we didn't do anything but dance. And when the song was over she pulled back slightly, "I think I need to lie down now..." She whispered.

I lifted her slowly, carrying her back to the bed and setting her down before I wrapped the covers around her.

I knelt down beside the bed, reaching to run my fingers down her cheek, "Thank you..." She said, smiling weakly, "I loved the Prom..."

"I'm glad..." I said, no louder than a whisper, it was impossible to speak.

She let out a breath, closing her eyes a little, "I think it's time now..."

"No..." I shook my head, tears falling fast down my cheeks, "No... Please Bella..."

"I have to..." Her voice held no conviction, she didn't want to go either. "I held on this long... I have to go to now..."

I shook my head again, not saying a word as I closed my eyes.

"Will you hold me?" She whispered, "Please?"

I opened my eyes to look at her again before I got up, pulling back the covers and laying down beside her, lifting her into my arms and putting her head on my chest.

She relaxed against me before she started to speak, "I didn't want to tell I was dying when you first came here... I didn't want to admit it..."

"Sssh Bella... Don't speak." I hushed gently.

"No... I want to say this..." I stayed quiet so she could speak, "I thought we could be friends... But when we started spending time with each other... I fell for you... I love you Edward... And I know it's not worth much at the minute, but my heart is yours... Always..."

I shut my eyes, holding her tighter as I tried to find my voice, "I love you too Bella... I'll never find anyone like you again..."

"Please..." She lifted her head suddenly to look at me, "Be happy... Settle down, find a girl, get married, have children... Let your dreams come true..."

"But that's impossible to do without you..."

"You'll get over me one day..." She started to cry, slow tears began running down her cheeks, "As much as I don't want you to, I know you will... Just don't forget me." She begged, "But be happy... Promise me."

I nodded a little, "Okay... I promise."

She smiled slightly, reaching to wipe my tears with her frail, shaking fingers, "I'll let you kiss me now..."

I laughed a little in spite of my tears before I nodded, bending my head gently, covering her lips with mine and kissing her softly.

"Now you have to let me go..." She whispered, obviously remembering the time in the garden all those months ago, "Sometimes love lasts... But sometimes it hurts instead..." She whispered against my lips.

I pulled back slowly to look at her, but she didn't meet my eyes. Instead she laid her head on my chest, "I wish nothing but the best for you Edward..." She said quietly, "And I love you... Always..."

"I love you too Bella... Forever..." I shut my eyes for a long moment, feeling the tears drip down my cheeks in a steady flow.

I could feel her breathing come and go in shallow gasps and then after a few short moments, there was no more breathing.

I opened my eyes, "Bella?" She didn't answer me.

I sat up slowly, lifting her body with me. But she was limp.

"Bella?" I called again, but her head rested on my chest and her eyes were closed peacefully.

I shook my head, "Bella..." My tears dripped onto her hair and I tried to stop them, but it was impossible.

So instead I just held onto her...

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"Thank you... You don't know how much it means to us..." Mr Wilson shook my hand firmly, tears in both his and his wife's eyes.

"It was my pleasure. I'm glad I could help." I smiled kindly.

"How could you do it? All the other doctors said her heart was too weak to save..."

"No heart is ever too weak to save..." I smiled slightly, glancing at the young child resting the in the hospital bed.

"Thank you Doctor Cullen... There's a reason you're the best heart surgeon out there."

"Again, it was my pleasure. Just make sure she enjoys her life, won't you?"

"We will." Her mother smiled, brushing the child's hair back as she sat beside the bed.

"Well... I'd better go... I wish you all the best Mr and Mrs Wilson."

"And to you Doctor Cullen. Go get home to your wife and children."

I was already walking away, so I didn't answer him.

I dropped my keys on the table when I got home, dropping my briefcase on the sofa before I went to the fridge for a drink. I thought about having dinner, but it had been a long day.

Instead I went straight to the bedroom, stripping off my suit and climbing into the bed. I closed my eyes for a moment before I opened them again, turning to look at the picture on the bedside table.

"Goodnight Bella." I looked at the photo of the two of us, taken in the garden of the Hospice fifteen years ago. She was under my arm and I was holding onto her tightly, both of us smiling wide for the camera, held by a five year old child who took the picture.

She might have told me to... But I never let go of her.

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**I cried... And i wrote the story! xD **

**Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! It would mean a lot to me :)**

**Thank you! xx**


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